The Wahpeton times., 1887-09-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

TONS reply to the structures Of Mr..
Geo. VIM. Curtis, on the civil service
system is all that the true friends
of reform can expect, showing as it |
does that President Cleveland and
the Democratic party have redeemed
their pledges in that regard, at least |
to the full letter of the civil-service
act. 1t is frankly admitted that
more Democrats than Republicans
are appointed because Republican
politicians have f0stered the false
idea that members of that party had
no chance. thus, deterring many
from attempting an examination,
while, on the other hand, Democrats
had nothing to discourage their as
pirations. Mr.. Edgerton asserts
most positively that the political
opinion of the candidates for places
are not known in any case, and that
all the nalnes of those who pass an
examination are rated in the order
of merit on the list of eligibles. The
Democrats who have criticised
the admins tration for failing to
''turn the rascals OUT" fast enough,
should certainly find some comfort
in studying the returns Of decapi-
tations us made by the post office
department for the past three years,
which. as Horace Greeley would
say. will be "mighty interest ing
re;'ding." During the last fiscal
year 3,048 offices were established (;
discontinued 1.5OO appointments
on designations and commissions ex-
pired, 5,8G3 ; appointments on re-
movals and suspensions, 1854 (; ap-
pointments on change Of names and
sites, 1872: appointments on deaths
of postmasters, $50 (; total number
of appointments of postmasters of
all grades during the year, 1909 {:
for the year 1885 and 1886, 22.747
and 9,547, respectively, making a
total of 46,373 for the three years
of Democratic administration, which
1 think is Il pretty fair showing
from purely partisan standpoint,
your correspondent believes that
"the boys in the trenches" should
fill the offices.
The great and good work of re-
claiming public lands from the
grasping and greedy railroad cor
porations, who have forfeited their
chartered rights, still goes on, keep
ing step to the music of reform and
the rights of the people. The most
important decision of this kind
given in years was rendered by the
secretary of the interior few days
since, revoking the order of his Re-
publican predecessor, which with
drew from settlement, under the
pre-emption and homestead laws,
the lands conditlonally granted by
congress to the Atlantic and Pacific
railroad company, amounting to
twenty-five or thirty million acres
of land, in this case alone, the order
applies to several other railroads as |
we'll and it is at present impossible
to name the vast number of acres
added to the public domain. Every
honest western settler will now be |
moved to toss up his hat and hands
and enthusiastically 'hooray" for
Lamar. who thus courageously per.
forms a great public duty that en-
shfines his name among the gods of
their humble households.
The death Of Professor Spencer F.
Baird. secretary of the Smithsonian
institution, and commissioners of
fish and fisheries, is one of the great
est calamities that could befall the
world of science. He devoted a
long and useful life to scientific
researches and literary labors, and
his work on natural history and
science, entitle him to rank with
Audubon and Agassiz, with both of
whom he has been associated in
their favorite fields of endeavor.
Professor Baird was truly benefac-
tor of his race, for to him the peo-
pie of the United States are chiefly
indebted for the upbuilding of the
fish commission, the propagation of
fish in all their waters, and the con.
sequent cheapening of that excellent
article of food.
The people of the District of
Columbia are still groaning under
their buiden Of debt and protesting
against their form OF government
given them by the Republicans
which is taxation without represen-
tation. They are carrying a debt of
more than 100000, consuming
million and Il quarter annnaIlv in